‘We Chose To Go To The Moon’ Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Moon Landing This July at Carnegie Hall

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Carnegie Hall will present two performances of We Chose to Go to the Moon—a music and multimedia presentation that reignites the unforgettable moments of the historic mission—on Tuesday evening, July 16 and Saturday evening, July 20 in Zankel Hall, created and narrated by historian John Monsky.

The program features performances by leading Broadway singers Adam Kantor (The Band’s Visit), Shonica Gooden (Hamilton) and Crystal Kellogg (School of Rock), collaborating with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and conducted by Kimberly Grigsby (Music Director, Broadway’s To Kill a Mockingbird). Tickets for the July 16 and 20 performances are on sale now.

“The story of the space race isn’t just about going to the moon; it’s about what was happening on the ground too, during one of the most tumultuous times in America’s history. Carnegie Hall is an incredible platform to highlight the sacrifices of the astronauts’ wives and their families, the brilliance of the engineers in the mission control, and the female “computers” and “hidden figures” at the same time Neil Armstrong was taking his giant steps,” says Monsky.

“John Monsky is a great storyteller with a special ability to combine music, visual images and film in a way that is magical and very emotional,” says Carnegie Hall’s executive and artistic director Clive Gillinson. “We were deeply moved by John’s stunning depiction of the Vietnam War in 2018, and greatly look forward to his return this summer as he brings audiences along with him, capturing the excitement and spirit of the moon landing in this next edition of his series at Carnegie Hall.”